


Habits of my heart

by donnawanderedoff



Category: The 100 (TV), kabby - Fandom
Genre: Abby & Marcus working at the same hospital and really not liking each other, Alternate Universe, Alternative Universe - Hospital, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Kabby AU, Trapped in an elevator, hospital au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-08-07 07:33:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7705969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donnawanderedoff/pseuds/donnawanderedoff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you'd ask her, Abby Griffin would tell you that she's quite satisfied with her life. She's surrounded by people who love her. Her daughter Clarke, Lexa Clarke's girlfriend and her other 'children', aka Clarke's friends who spent more time at her place than anywhere else.  She's a successful doctor at a large hospital with an excellent reputation and is loved by her patients. Has a good relationship with her colleagues and friends. </p><p>Of course, life isn't perfect. Ideally, she'd like fewer working hours and be able to come home to someone. Well someone other than her daughter or her friends that is. Someone to share stories about her day with, to have dinner with and just snuggle up against after a long day. But overall, she's happy where she is. Except for one person. Marcus Kane, head of the legal department at the hospital and royal pain in the ass. They've been working at the same hospital for five years and they absolutely do not get along. She hates him, he hates her. Their mutual resentment is the only thing they actually agree on. </p><p>But then they get trapped in an elevator together and maybe, just maybe she might have judged him too quickly</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a prompt I received on Tumblr: hiya, if you're still taking prompts, I've got one: Abby & Marcus have been working for the same company/teaching at the same university but don't really get along. Then they get stuck in an elevator together
> 
> Okay so while I was working on this one-shot and more specifically the ending, I wasn't satisfied with it. I mean, I wanted to do so much with it but I didn't want to jam it all in one story so I decided to create another multi-chapter story because I am crazy. So here we are. I'm begging you all to be patient with me, though. I know that I want to write at least another 2 to 3 chapters, but I have no idea when. 
> 
> Ah well, I do hope you'll like it ;)

With an impatient huff, Abby pressed the elevator button again. _Come on. Seriously, how long can it possibly take?_ Taking another glance at her watch only makes her frustration grow. She had already texted Clarke that she’d be late for their weekly dinner due to an emergency operation. Her daughter had understood and replied that she’d already order some appetizers. Abby didn’t doubt that Clarke would be just fine, Lexa would make sure of that, it's just that their weekly dinners were the one time in the entire week they could sit down and have some family time. Sighing with relief when the elevator arrived, Abby quickly entered.

The doors were about to close when a hand slipped between them, preventing them from closing. Abby's mood goes from bad to worse when she realized just who was on the other side. Marcus Kane, head of the legal department at the hospital and the bane of her existence. When she had started working at the children's hospital in LA five years ago she had originally been misguided by his good looks and charming smile. However, after being on the job for no more than a week, she had gotten to know the _real_ Marcus Kane. The cold calculated and rule abider that he truly was. They've been butting heads ever since and the less time she had to spend in his presence, the better. There was just something about the man made her feel on edge all the time. With just a simple look he could rile her up and she absolutely  _hated_ it. 

With a satisfied smirk, Abby watched how the smile on Marcus' face fell when he noticed who was already in the elevator. Grimacing, he entered and took his place next to her. 

"Abigail", Marcus acknowledged her with a small nod. 

"Kane", she grunted.

"Parking lot?", he asked but he didn't wait for her reply and already pushed the button. 

"Yes", Abby said through gritted teeth. _You presumptuous jerk_

They were both staring at the closed door when the elevator suddenly lurched and grounded to a halt, the movement so abrupt they both stumbled and grabbed the railings at the sides of the elevator to stay upright. The lights flickered off and were replaced be the red glow of the emergency light. Not believing that this was happening to her, Abby raised her head to the ceiling. _Why oh why? And with Kane of all people. Seriously, today is only getting worse._

“You’ve got to be kidding me”, she heard Marcus mutter under his breath. 

Hearing his voice Abby lowered her head and glowered at him. Rationally she knew that this wasn't his fault, but she'd been having a bad day. She was tired, hungry and all she wanted was to have dinner with Clarke and Lexa and go to bed. Instead, she was stuck in an elevator, for god knows how long, with  _Marcus Kane._

Marcus must have felt her stare because he turned his head so that he was facing her. "What? If you think I'm somehow responsible for this you're wrong. You might think that I'm out to make your life as difficult as possible but I want to go home as much as you do. I know you think I'm capable of a lot of things but stopping elevators isn't one of them", he muttered with a glare of his own, folding his arms across his chest. 

Abby ignored him and took out her cellphone, only to let out a huff of air when it became clear that she had no signal on it. 

"Don't bother. You never have a signal in here", Marcus mentioned in a tone, a parent would use to scold a child and it just aggravated her. 

Throwing the phone back in her purse Abby crossed her arms. "Well, what are you going to do then? Demand the elevator to start working again?"

"Very funny", Marcus scoffed. "No, I'm going to do the only sensible thing and use the emergency phone", he continued in the same condescending tone. 

"See?", he said with a smirk as he walked over to the phone. Abby simply huffed and tried to restrain herself from wiping that arrogant smirk off his face. 

Feeling confident, Marcus started dialing the emergency number listed next to the phone. After a few seconds, though, his smugness disappeared when it became clear that the line was dead. 

"What's wrong Kane? Are things not going the way you want? God, that must be excruciating for you", Abby taunted. 

Ignoring her tone of voice, he placed the phone back. "Line's dead. So it looks like we're going to be stuck here"

"Like hell we are", Abby hissed while stepping forward and reaching for the phone.

"Abby it's not -", Marcus started but stopped when she shot him a glare. Lifting his hands up in surrender, he muttered, "Suit yourself". 

Pushing the numbers a bit more violently than she probably should have, she prayed for it to work. Unfortunately, the line was still dead. "Fuck", Abby swore while hanging the phone back and letting her head drop against the wall of the elevator. 

"I'm sure they'll have it fixed soon enough, whatever it is", she heard Marcus utter from her left. 

Sighing, Abby lifted her head and leaned against the wall "I hope so, I'm already late."

"Ah. Date?", Marcus asked casually but there was _something_ in his voice that made her narrow her eyes a little bit as she looked at him. If she didn't know any better she'd say that he almost sounded _envious_ of the possibility of her going on a date with someone other than him.

Inwardly shaking her head at that ridiculous thought, Abby snorted, "A date? With whom? No, I'm meeting Clarke and her girlfriend for dinner, well I was supposed to be there almost -", she glanced at her watch, groaning when she noticed the time, "20 minutes ago". 

Was it just her imagination or did his shoulders sag a fraction when he heard that she was only meeting her daughter?  _Stop it Abigail. This is Kane you're talking about. You know the man you detest? The one who has been nothing but an annoyance for the past five years? Why do you even care?_

Clearing his throat and offering her a small smile, Marcus uttered, "Ah well, at least she's not alone. Besides, I'm sure she's used to you showing up late." 

Indignation flared at his insinuation that she made a habit of making her daughter wait and portraying her like she was a bad parent. "Yes, well you try to be a single parent with crazy and unpredictable work hours. I am not a bad mother", she snapped. 

"What? No, that's not what I-", he tried to explain before she cut him off. 

"That's exactly what you meant", she retorted, anger lacing her voice. "I'd like to see you do it. Oh, wait that's right. That won't be possible since you have no one", she snapped spitefully. 

A sense of deep shame and horror crashed over her as soon as the words had left her mouth. She watched how Marcus recoiled from her as if she had physically slapped him and took a step back. Abby hadn't meant to lash out so harshly, he just knew how to push her buttons and she had been already riled up from work. 

"Marcus, I'm sorry", she whispered regretfully. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry for lashing out, I'm just tired."

Jaw set, he still looked upset but after a few seconds of gazing at each other, he gave her a small nod, accepting her apologies.

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Abby sat down on the floor, stretching her legs in front of her. If they were going to be in here for a while, and it certainly looked liked it, she might as well get as comfortable as possible. 

"I'll take a wild guess and say that getting stuck in an elevator with the woman you hate isn't your ideal evening either", she commented.

"What?", Marcus froze, looking confused. 

"Oh, don't deny it, Marcus, please. I know you have an _intense_ dislike for me", she muttered. 

With an incredulous look on his face, he made his way over and sat down next to her, making sure that there still was some place between them. Mirroring her position, he looked at his hands while muttering, "I don't hate you."

It was uttered so softly that at first, Abby thought that she had imagined it, but as she glanced at him and noticed his rigid posture and his refusal to meet her eyes, she knew that he had said them. Not expecting that response, Abby raised an eyebrow. "What? Yes, you do. Of course, you do. You've hated me ever since I came to work here five years ago."

With a soft chuckle, Marcus took a deep breath and turned his head so that he could look her into her eyes. "No, trust me, Abby. I don't hate you. I disagree with you and you frustrate me most of the time. But I don't _hate_ you, I could never -, I-", he stopped mid-sentence, looking embarrassed at what he had let slip. Clearing his throat he returned his focus on his hands once more, being unable to hold her gaze. 

Abby realized that she probably had a surprised look on her face but she felt absolutely bewildered by the turn of the conversation. She had been so sure that he hated her. _Could she have been wrong this entire time?_ Wracking her brain for memories of these past five years, she tried to figure out when she first thought that Marcus disliked her. When she wasn't able to pinpoint an exact moment, she averted her eyes and stared at the door, not knowing what to do or say. The next few minutes passed in silence, something that Abby had wanted at the start but now felt stifling and just  _wrong._ Not knowing what do to with the sudden awkwardness that has descended over them, Abby glanced at his hands and watched mesmerized how his fingers tapped a rhythm against his thighs.  _He has nice hands. How come I haven't noticed this before?_ Feeling uncomfortable with the continued silence, Abby cleared her throat. 

"I don't hate you either", she murmured while keeping her gaze on his hands. 

Marcus' head snapped up at her confession, throwing a confused yet _dared she say_ hopeful glance at her. "You don't?" 

Meeting his gaze, Abby shook her head, "No, Marcus I don't. You annoy and aggravate me, but I don't hate you."

Giving her a small but sincere smile,  _he does have a gorgeous smile,_ Marcus uttered, "That - that's good to hear"

Answering his smile with one of her own, she replied, "Yes, it is", before they both lapsed into silence once more, although it didn't feel as stifling as before. 

Chuckling at the absurdness of the situation, Abby said, "As long as annoying me whenever I wanted an extra test or to perform a new procedure wasn't your way of flirting with me..."

She had meant it as a joke but when Marcus tensed up next to her and drew in a sharp intake of breath, Abby tried to backtrack.

"I mean - you and I. It's... I mean. You are very attractive and..well, you know how-", she stopped herself mid ramble. Closing her eyes in embarrassment, she missed the fond look Marcus bestowed on her. 

"So you think I'm attractive?", he teased her as she opened her eyes again. Rolling her eyes, Abby gently pushed his shoulder with her hand.

"Shut up Marcus. Your way of flirting with a woman is denying her medical procedures and making her deal with paperwork", she huffed with a slight blush. 

Grimacing, he rubbed his neck, "Yes, well I never said I was smooth. Besides it did work out all in the end didn't it?"

Abby raised her eyebrow questioningly, "How so?",

With a grin Marcus mentioned, "Well I'm currently in a locked up in the same space as you, so I'd say I'm making progress."

Laughing softly, Abby leaned in closer. "So being trapped in an elevator sounds like progress to you?" 

Marcus just hummed as his eyes flickered down to her mouth. Feeling herself starting to blush under his attention, Abby licked her lips and gasped when his pupils dilated in response. 

" _Abby",_ he whispered in a low voice, eyes still focused on her lips.

"Mm", she murmured while leaning closer, marveling at how his breath hitched in his throat. 

They were close,  _so close_ she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Just a  _few inches,_ all she had to do was tilt her head  _up_ and she'd be able to - 

The sudden movement of the elevator moving again caught them off guard and they were abruptly pulled out of their bubble. Sharing an embarrassed chuckle, they started to get up from the floor. Abby accepted the hand Marcus extended her and let him pull her upright. Giving him a small smile of gratitude, she picked up her purse and made sure her pants wasn't dirty from spending some time on the floor. 

The air between them was now filled with tension, but not the same that used to hang around them.  _Oh no, a different tension all together._ A small ping signaled that they reached the parking lot. Both of them don't really know how to deal with everything that just happened. They got out of the elevator and started to walk towards their cars but before Abby could say goodbye, Marcus beats her to it. 

"I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me tomorrow evening? To make up for being a jerk to you these past five years?", he stammered, not fully able to look her into the eyes. 

Stomach fluttering, Abby found one of his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "I'd like that Marcus. As long as I can invite you for a coffee afterwards? I have some things to apologize for as well."  

Flashing her a devastating smile, he nodded in response. 

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow at work then?", she asked. 

"Yes. Yes, you will. Have a safe drive and enjoy your dinner with your daughter. I'll see you tomorrow", he answered as he turned and walked over to his car, which was parked only a couple of spots further than hers. 

"I will, thanks", she called out before climbing into her car with a large smile on her smile. _She couldn't wait to tell Clarke about this._

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it finally is, the second chapter, I'm so sorry that it took so long :/ I honestly didn't mean to wait this long before writing the second part. I really hope that it'll be worth the wait even though I'm not completely satisfied with the result. So I'm kind of nervous about publishing it. Anyway, hope you'll enjoy

Abby had been feeling fidgety and jumpy all day. The last time she was this nervous of coming into work, was on her first day at the hospital five years ago. Even some of her interns had noticed her slightly out of character behaviour. She had observed more than one confused look being thrown between Jackson and Murphy. Naturally, she had pretended not to notice those glances and brushed off any remarks because how was she supposed to explain that the man she’d been glaring daggers at and complaining about was taking her out on a date after work?

She’d woken up this morning with a small smile on her face before gleefully getting up and taking a shower. There might have been a small wardrobe crisis as well, not that she’d ever admit it of course. Her smile had still been present during breakfast, much to the amusement of Clarke and Lexa, who had both teased her relentlessly but even that hadn’t ruined her good mood.

As she had walked into work this morning, she’d been on the lookout because Marcus usually came in around the same time as her, but she hadn’t seen him, and the first wave of nerves kicked in.

 _What if he regretted asking her out? What if he had thought it over at home and decided that going on a date with a co-worker wasn’t a good idea? Maybe he even called in sick because he didn’t want to run into her today?_  

Those thoughts had plagued her between patient consultations until she’d walked into the canteen during her lunch break and she spotted him waiting in line to pay for his food. Not wanting to waste this opportunity to talk to him, Abby had ushered over and quickly grabbed a sandwich and a bowl of soup as she queued behind him.

Any feelings of doubt she still might have had about Marcus changing his mind, disappeared when he turned around and greeted her with a broad smile before bashfully asking if she slept well. They had exchanged some pleasantries, both feeling a bit awkward in each other’s presence. After paying for their food, they had agreed that Marcus would pick her up at her place around 7:30. Initially, Abby had assured him that he didn’t have to pick her up, that she would be perfectly able to drive herself but he had insisted so she eventually caved. Before parting she had given him her number and address with a smile, telling him that she was excited for tonight, grinning when Marcus had blushed and replied that he was looking forward to it as well.

The rest of the day had passed in a sort of daze really. Before Abby knew it, she was on her way home, mentally going over the contents of her closet, hoping that she’d find something suitable for a date. Because to be honest the last time she’d gone on a date was literally during the previous century and she has no idea if she even _owns_ a dress.

* * *

 "You sure that this dress isn't too much?", Abby frets, hands running over the fabric of the dress while giving her reflection a scrutinising glance. 

"Mom for the tenth time you look absolutely stunning in the dress", Clarke reassures her while getting up from the bed she'd been sitting on, "And no it isn't too much. Nor are you too old for something like that", she quickly adds as Abby opens her mouth to interrupt. 

"Besides your legs and boobs look amazing in the dress Abby", Lexa offers with a grin from her position on the bed, causing Abby to blush and Clarke to throw her girlfriend an irritated glare.

"Not helping babe. Also, that's my mother you're talking about", she mutters but Lexa merely smiles and shrugs her shoulders.

"Just because she's your mom doesn't mean she can't be hot", the girl points out. 

"And I think that Marcus will definitely agree with me. Although he might prefer her without the dress", she adds with a wink, bursting out in laughter when Abby turns an even deeper red and Clarke lets out an appalled groan, feeling slightly queasy at the mental image of her mother and Marcus doing  _that._

"Girls" _,_ Abby gently calls after a couple of seconds, "There will be nothing of the sort. We're not a bunch of teenagers and this is only our first date. I'm absolutely certain we'll be able to control ourselves", she sternly admonishes them, only to fidget when both girls throw her almost identical incredulous looks. 

"I am", she repeats. 

"Sure mom, whatever you say," Clarke whispers as she pats her on the shoulder.

Her daughter tries to sound sincere but Abby isn't fooled by it. Same goes for Lexa's muttered,  _of course Abby._ The eye-roll both girls not so subtly give each other doesn't help either. 

"Now", Clarke excitedly claps her hands, "What are we going to do with your hair?" 

"My hair?", Abby frowns, "What's wrong with how I'm wearing it right now?" 

" _Moom_ ", Clarke whines, "You can't go on a first date with someone while wearing a dress like _that_ and have your hair in the same messy ponytail you always have for work"

"I can't?", throwing a confused look at Lexa who shakes her head with a tiny smile. 

"Fine", she sighs, deciding that resisting is futile, "Do whatever you want with my hair. Just don't make me look ridiculous please." 

"We won't", Clarke cheers, "Lexa hand me that brush will you?"

* * *

Marcus stares at his reflection as he nervously adjusts his tie, _for the fourth time._ He can’t even remember the last time he’d been this nervous for a date. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even know if he’s ever been this nervous before. But then again, he has never gone out with someone like Abby Griffin before and he’s still in a state of relative shock. He still doesn’t entirely believe that this is actually happening, that in less than an hour he’ll be having dinner at a restaurant with _Abby Griffin._ Honestly, if you had told him yesterday morning that this would happen, he would have suggested an MRI. But here he was, almost ready for their date.

As he casts a critical glance at his hair, Marcus debates whether he should slick it back like usual or simply brush it. When he notices the time, the decision is made for him because he realises with a muttered curse that if he wants to arrive on time, he has to leave right away. So he merely runs his hand through his hair, trying to flip back that persistent curl but failing. Accepting that there’s nothing he can do about, he cast a final glance at his reflection before grabbing his jacket and keys and making his way to his car.

The ride to Abby's house is a short one, thank god, because Marcus honestly believes that his nerves couldn't have handled a longer one. When he arrives at her house, he carefully parks in the driveway before taking a couple of seconds to take several deep breaths. 

_There's no need to this nervous. It's not like it's a blind date or anything, you've known Abby for five years now, you see her practically every day. Just breathe and everything will be fine._

After running his hand through his hair one final time, Marcus finally gets out of the car and makes his way over to the front door before ringing the doorbell. It doesn't take long before the door opens and when it does, his brain momentarily short-circuits when he lets his gaze wander over the woman in front of him. 

He can’t help but stare, with what he assumes must be a flabbergasted expression on his face, at Abby. She’s wearing a form fitted black dress, that stops an inch above her knees, giving him a perfect view of her incredible legs, not to mention the tantalising neckline that shows more cleavage than he’s used to seeing, makes his mouth suddenly feel dry. Letting his eyes travel higher, Marcus observes with wide eyes that her hair is out of her usual ponytail and now hangs around her shoulders in loose curls and he can feel his fingers twitch with the sudden urge to tangle them in those luscious looking strands.

“Marcus?”

Blinking a couple of times, he looks her in her eyes and notices how she’s nervously biting her lower lip. Realising that he hasn’t said anything since she opened the door, he blurts out, “You look incredible Abby”.

Abby gives him a shy but pleased smile in response, “Thank you, Marcus. You look very handsome too. I especially like your hair like that”

“Yeah?”, he wonders, feeling his cheeks warm as he runs his fingers through it while observing how her eyes follow the movement and giving him a small nod.

“Thank you. Are you ready?”

“I am, let me just say goodbye to Clarke and her girlfriend and grab my things”, she says before turning around and disappearing behind the door.

Marcus can hear voices murmur, but he’s unable to understand anything when he suddenly a head full of blonde curls peeps around the door, giving him a scrutinizing glance over.

“So, you’re Marcus?”, the girl asks through narrowed eyes, making him slightly fidget under her gaze.

“I am. And you must be Clarke. Nice to finally meet you”, he replies, inwardly cheering when his voice comes out steady.

“Mm”, Clarke hums, “Piano or guitar?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Piano or guitar?”, the girl repeats with raised eyebrows.

“Guitar”

“Electric or acoustic?”, she questions.

“Acoustic”

Clarke stays silent and Marcus swears he can hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears when a broad smile appears on her face, and she extends her hand so he can shake it.

“Nice to meet you Marcus”, she says with a smile and he just nods, not entirely sure what just happened.

“What did he answer?”, a voice from behind Clarke calls out.

“Acoustic guitar”, the girl shouts back over her shoulder.

“Nice”, the voice replies and a second head appears at the door.

“Hi, I’m Lexa. Clarke’s girlfriend. Nice to meet you”, the brunette introduces herself, shaking his hand as well.

“Nice to meet you too”, Marcus murmurs, unsure how to handle himself.

“ _So_ , what are your plans with Abby? I hope that it’s PG13 rated?”, Lexa questions, ignoring the poke she gets from Clarke.

“I – uh”, he stammers, but he’s thankfully saved by Abby, who returns with her coat on.

“ _Girls_ , leave Marcus alone,” Abby warns, giving them a stern look, “I’m sorry Marcus, were they bothering you?”.

Three pairs of eyes turn to him and honestly, a two-hour board meeting is less nerve-wracking than this.

“Oh no, they just introduced themselves”, he reassures her, not missing the two almost imperceptible nods of approval, he gets from both girls and how Abby’s posture relaxes.

“Great. Well girls, we’re off now. I left money on the counter so you can order what you want. And please try not to eat all of the ice cream”, she announces, stepping outside the house.

Both girls roll their eyes, but they give her an affectionate nod. “We won’t”

“Bye”, Clarke states closing the door.

“Behave”, Lexa shouts just before the door falls shut.

"Well, those two certainly are-", Marcus starts, unsure how to proceed and Abby giggles at the bemused look on his face. 

"A handful?", she suggests, smiling when he nods, "They certainly are but they mean well"

They share a smile before Marcus offers his arm which Abby accepts and they walk towards his car, both nervous but also excited for the date. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the final chapter. Prepare yourself for adorableness, some cute and slightly awkward flirting and perhaps a kiss?

 The ride to the restaurant was awkward. Both of them are sneaking glances at each other, only to blush when they’re caught and quickly turning their heads.

“Do you-”

“Where are-”

They both start talking at the same time and when it falls silent again, Abby can’t help but giggle at their ridiculous behaviour and Marcus quickly joins in. The rest of the drive passes in a much more relaxed atmosphere. They talk about their day at the hospital and even gossip about their boss, Jaha. Marcus informs her that they’re going to a restaurant owned by a friend of his. It isn’t overly extravagant but he promises that the food’s delicious.

After parking the car, they make their way over to the restaurant and when Abby moves to open the door, Marcus rushes forward and holds it for her. Their eyes meet and with a coy smile on her lips, she nods her thanks before entering. Her eyes widen when she takes in the interior of the restaurant. She doesn’t know how they did it, but somehow the owners made the ceiling look and shine like a star-filled sky. All the tables are decorated with candles, making the entire space feel cosy and _romantic._

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Abby turns her head towards Marcus, who has stopped next to her. “It is”

Before he can reply a stern looking woman appears, only for her expression to fractionally soften when she recognises Marcus. Pulling him into a short hug while murmuring something, Abby figures that this must be the friend he’d mentioned.

“Abby, this is Indra, the owner of _Polis._ Indra, this is Abby, my colleague from work”, Marcus informs the both of them.

“Oh, yes. I’ve heard so much about you. Glad I’m finally meeting you”, Indra states, giving her a firm handshake while throwing Marcus a look, smirking when he fidgets under her gaze.

“Really? That can’t be good”, Abby replies, glancing at the man in question as well.

“I’d beg to differ. If you two would follow me?”, Indra requests before leading them towards a small table in the corner, separating them a bit from the other patrons.

After sitting down, Indra hands them their menus before informing them that she’ll shortly return to take their orders. While taking a look at the menu, Abby comments, “Indra seems.......nice. A bit intimidating, but nice”

“Oh, she’s definitely intimidating. You do not want to piss her off. I’ve seen what happens then and it isn’t pretty”, he professes quietly with a wink.

When Indra returns with two glasses of champagne they give their orders before taking a sip of their drinks

“I’m glad we’re doing this”, Marcus confesses and Abby can feel her heart stutter to a halt at the look in his eyes.

“Me too”, she agrees as she slides her hand across the table until it rests on top of his.

It doesn’t take long before their food arrives and Marcus had been right, it was simply _delicious._ The conversation between them flows naturally. Abby talks about Clarke and how much she loves to draw and paint, while Marcus tells her how Indra nearly broke his arm when they first met in college and she’s nearly crying with laughter when he finishes the story, his eyes gleaming with mirth.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Indra and leaving the restaurant, Abby can’t help but shiver from the cold even with her coat on. Marcus is quick to wrap his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. She gives him a grateful smile before slipping an arm around his waist as well.  They cross the short distance to his car in a comfortable silence, both of them acutely aware of the close proximity between them.

After helping her into the car, Marcus gets in as well before starting to drive. Contrary to their drive to the restaurant, this time the air isn’t filled with nervousness, but with tension and an air of anticipation. As he moves to turn the radio on, Abby reaches out and lets her hand rest on top of his. Glancing at her, he turns his hand until their palms touch and he intertwines their fingers before resting them in the space between them.

It doesn’t take long before Marcus pulls into her driveway. They both take a deep breath, realising that the evening is coming to an end. Abby has barely taken off her seat belt when Marcus is on her side of the car and opens her door.

“Thank you”

He guides her to her door, even though she’s more than capable of walking the short distance on her own, but it seems that Marcus is just as reluctant to let this evening end as she is. Coming to a halt in front of her, Abby turns around to say goodbye, only for her breath to hitch in her throat when she realises that Marcus’ is much closer than she initially anticipated.

“Abby, I really want to kiss you”, Marcus murmurs as he takes another step in her direction before leaning in.

He’s so close now that she could feel the heat of his breath against her cheek. When he starts to nuzzle her hair, Abby grabs the front of his jacket, needing something to hold on to and Marcus wraps his arms around her in response.

“Would you like me to kiss you?”, he whispers in her ear, noticing the shiver that travels through her body with a smirk, before pressing soft kisses against the side of her neck.

Letting out a soft moan, Abby tilts her head to give him better access and Marcus gladly takes advantage of it. He continues to pepper her skin with kisses until he reaches the corner of her mouth. Leaning back, he takes in her closed eyes, flushed cheeks and slightly erratic breathing and he nearly pinches himself to make sure that this is actually happening. That Abby is _really_ here, in his arms, and that when he’ll wake up tomorrow this won’t have been a dream.

“Marcus?”

He’s snapped out of his musing by the feel of Abby’s hand cupping his cheek. Focussing on her eyes, Marcus notices the slightly worried look in them.

“You okay?”

Covering her hand with one of his own, he nods, “I still have a hard time believing that this is actually happening. That - you and me – here”, he stammers, “Especially after the way I treated you these past 5 years. I –”

“Marcus stop”, Abby cuts him off, her voice kind, “You aren’t the only one who acted badly, I did my fair share too”, she confesses, flashing him a quick smile when he chuckles in response to her quip, “but however we behaved in the past, it doesn’t matter anymore. The only thing that matters now is where we go from here. And if your offer still stands, I’d really like for you to kiss me”, she ends with a soft smile before linking her arms behind his neck and pulling his body closer to hers.

Marcus cradles her head between his hands, his fingers curling into her hair before brushing his lips against hers in a tender kiss. Feeling herself melt against him, Abby gently takes his lower lip between her teeth before soothing it with her tongue. Growling, Marcus opens his mouth and she eagerly deepens the kiss, a surge of arousal coursing through her at the sensation of his tongue against hers. The kiss becomes more passionate and suddenly her back is against the door and one leg is wrapped around his thigh, pressing their hips together.

“ _Abby”,_ Marcus groans, breaking the kiss and resting his forehead against hers, their breaths intermingling.

“Mmm”, she hums before capturing his lips in another kiss, swallowing his chuckle.

They continue to kiss, their hands slowly discovering each other until they have to break for air.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at work?”, Marcus whispers, trailing his fingertips across the soft skin of her cheek, smiling when Abby leans into his caress.

Giving him a soft smile, she nods, “Yes”

With one final brush of his lips against hers, Marcus pulls back with a soft smile before turning around and walking back towards his car. Abby watches him from her porch as he drives off, waving him goodbye as he passes her.

Closing the door, Abby leans against it while putting her purse on the ground. With her eyes closed and a content smile on her face, she gently lets her fingers trail across her lips, which are still tingling from their kisses. A beep from her purse draws her attention. Picking it up, Abby pulls out her cell phone and her smile widens when she notices the name that’s displayed on the screen.

**I had a really great time tonight x**

Abby knows that she’s wearing a ridiculous grin, and if Clarke were still awake, she’d be teased endlessly by her daughter, but she’s finally feeling somewhat _happy_ for the first time in longer than she can remember. Opening the text she quickly types a reply.

**Me too. Perhaps next time you’d like to come in for some coffee? x**

Biting her lower lip, Abby anxiously awaits his reply, only to relax when her phone lights up with a new message.

**I’d love to x**

Heart leaping in her chest, Abby slips out of her shoes and makes her way towards her bedroom.

**Great. Looking forward to it x**

She has already changed out of her dress and into her nightgown when her phone buzzes again.

**To just coffee or ....? x**

Feeling a blush creep up, Abby’s first response is to deflect but after debating for a couple of seconds, she decides to throw caution to the wind.

**Not just coffee x**

She has barely put her phone down when a new message appears on her screen. Chuckling at the speediness of his reply, Abby picks the phone up again

**One might think you have something lascivious in mind x**

With a mischievous smirk firmly on her face, she types a text and presses send before she loses her nerves.

**Who says I haven’t? x**

His response is almost immediate.

**Tease x**

Letting out a soft giggle, Abby crawls into bed. She can’t remember the last time she felt this giddy.

**I’ve barely started, trust me. x**

As she makes herself comfortable beneath the covers, her screen lights up again.

**Oh, I don’t doubt that. Good night Abby x**

Smiling, she texts him good night too before putting her phone on the nightstand and turning her light off.

_Who knew that getting stuck in an elevator together would lead to this?_

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/kudos are much appreciated


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